


Love Is In Style

by specyeol



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: College, Matchmaking, Multi, fashion student jjong, matchmaking mayhem, model yeol, not christmassy at all, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-13 23:38:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12995019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/specyeol/pseuds/specyeol
Summary: Sungjong is a fashion student and tries his hand in designing something other than clothes.(or a story about how Sungjong tries to set everyone up but sets up one friend only for failure)





	Love Is In Style

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cenji](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cenji/gifts).



> Hello everyone~ here's my yeoljong christmas fic, I hope you liked (or you'll like?) it! I must admit that it took me a loooong time to finish it because i misread the prompt ;; i misunderstood and so i had to change what i initially planned I'M DUMB OKAY. also, forever-alone-sungjong is a big no-no to me, so i wanted to write something nice and full of love for our sungjongie!!!! and if you're wondering... yeah, i was inspired by one of my favourite dramas, "age of youth"!

Today was the day. Sungjong knew it from the moment he pulled out his laptop and turned it on. Or maybe he knew it before then, when Myungsoo had asked to talk. No, it could’ve even been long before that. There was some kind of eerie feeling between them the last few times that they talked via video chat. It was as if a cloud was hanging over them, slowly enveloping them and suffocating. It became hard to talk like they used to because of it, hard to see what Myungsoo’s expressions meant.

But one thing was clear as a cloudless day: they were going to break up today.

Sungjong still loved Myungsoo, and he was certain that Myungsoo loved him back. But their love wasn’t enough to overcome the long, incredibly long distance between them now. And it was a literal distance. Myungsoo was in Europe, all over it, taking pictures of everything on the damned continent, from models to peeing sheep. And he’d be there indefinitely. Whereas, Sungjong was still in Korea, where he was planning on spending the rest of his life, maybe taking the occasional vacations to somewhere more exotic. And he wasn’t leading an exciting life like his boyfriend. Sungjong was just an ordinary college student (or as ordinary as one can get while being a part of the fashion college). And he was too ordinary for worldly and experienced Myungsoo now.

But even this new Myungsoo was still very much himself, still sweet and loyal, which all meant that Sungjong had to be the one to say it: “Myungsoo-hyung, let’s break up.”

And all that was left for Myungsoo to say was: “Okay.” But he added, “Maybe, maybe when I’m not so busy, we can try this again.”

Sungjong smirked. Myungsoo wanted to make sure that there were no hard feelings between them. There weren’t. This break up really wasn’t anything personal, except for the fact that they both personally could not keep this charade going. But Sungjong would play his role until this conversation ended, “Um, sure. I mean, if we’re both still single and in the same country, let’s try again.”

Sungjong doubted those two conditions would ever be met. Myungsoo wasn’t going to come back to Korea for a long while, and when he did, he most likely wouldn’t be single. Myungsoo was a handsome man, as is Sungjong. Who knows? Maybe if they both finally ended up in the same country, Sungjong would be the one with a new beau.

But that wouldn’t be for a long, long while.

Sungjong saw this cloud of doom drifting closer and closer to them, but he still got soaked by its rains.

Break-ups suck.

* * *

“What about that guy?”

“No, too short.”

“How about that one?”

“Do you see his gait? He walks like a duck. And his lips stick out like a duck too. Pass!”

“Sungjong, you’re being too mean,” Yina chided him and gave him a hard nudge. The two of them were sitting on a low wall, watching the eligible men on their campus walk by and judging them harshly, or at least Sungjong was. But he couldn’t help it. He had a discerning eye and was picky because of it. Not just any guy would do, not like it would for his friend. “I know that…” Yina swallowed the name of Sungjong’s ex, not really knowing what to call him now. “…that _guy_ is, well, was perfection. But, you know, not every guy is at that level. Sometimes you have to settle for a duck when you really want a swan. Ducks can do the job just fine.”

“I don’t want a duck,” Sungjong snapped. “I can’t afford a duck.”

Yina snorted and leaned back, looking up at the sky instead of the men still milling past them. Maybe their idea of staking out the sector of sciences buildings on campus wasn’t such a great idea. There were a lot of guys, sure, but none of them were what they were looking for. They were looking for a cool and sleek diamond in the brilliant, nerdy rough. “You need to have more confidence in yourself,” she remarked. “You’re not _that_ bad.”

Sungjong scoffed. “I’m not good either, am I?” he pointed out.

Yina lowered her head and stared at him. “I didn’t mean it like that,” she replied.

Now Sungjong was the one looking away and up at the sky. He closed his eyes and acting like he could feel the warmth of the sun on this cold day. “No, you didn’t. But that doesn’t mean it’s not right,” Sungjong said with a smile. Yina was wrong about something else. Sungjong did have confidence in himself. He had a lot. It takes a very self-assured person to admit when they are bad at something, boldly and with a smile on their face. “I’m bad at design. I acknowledge!” he exclaimed, looking over at Yina and pumping his fist. “That’s why I need someone who can hide my mistakes. The model will complete the fashion.”

Sungjong was part of the fashion department at the university. He did decently at the retail part of their major and okay at his fashion history. But this design course was giving him trouble. Or were his fumbling hands the real reason for his troubles? In spite of his love for fashion, this course was making him rethink if this was really the right path for him to travel down. If this was a struggle for him now, it would only get worse later. Sungjong knew that. It troubled him.

It made him wish that Myungsoo was there so that everyone would be distracted by Myungsoo’s face during the end of the semester fashion show and not Sungjong’s uneven hemlines.

Also, Sungjong could really use some of his ex-boyfriend’s support right now.

“Oh, Sungjong-ah,” Yina called to him and began nudging him again. Sungjong didn’t even know that he’d zoned out. “What about him?” she asked and gestured to a man descending the stairs of the Computer Science building.

“Oh,” Sungjong gasped. His usual smile grew wider, more genuine. This could be the guy he was looking for. Tall, proportionate, _long_ legs, slim, a clear and bright complexion, a nice walk, and a face that could make whatever disaster Sungjong and his sewing machine made look designer. “That’s him.” And he got up from his seat without hesitation. He didn’t want to lose this guy, and so he left his shame behind and ran up to meet the student at the bottom of the steps. Yina was shouting something after, probably saying something about not looking too eager or desperate, but Sungjong didn’t hear it. And he was eager and very desperate.

“Hello,” Sungjong greeted the potential model, who stopped a few steps before the bottom. He looked about him, seeing if Sungjong was talking to someone else, and he even pointed to himself. Sungjong nodded. “Can I ask you a question?”

“I’m not interested in joining any churches,” Sungyeol replied quickly and began walking again. He passed Sungjong, but didn’t leave him behind. Sungjong easily caught up to him.

“That’s good to know, but I wasn’t going to ask about that,” Sungjong said.

The student glanced over at him, still wary. “What is it then?” he asked. Sungjong wasn’t even scared off by the other’s bristly demeanor. He was really that desperate.

And so there was no reason for him to beat around the bush: “Do you want to be my model?”

“What?” That made the guy stop in his steps.

“I’m a fashion student here,” Sungjong explained. “I need a model to wear my design for the fashion show at the end of the year. And…” Sungjong paused and looked him up and down. “You’d be perfect.”

The student looked down at his own body and then at Sungjong, curiously. “Really?” Sungjong nodded enthusiastically, not sure what else to say. The other’s apprehensiveness put him on edge. But soon the student’s cold face melted into an excited smile. Good, he seemed flattered. “Will I get paid for it?”

Sungjong frowned. He didn’t think the student would ask that. “No,” he answered and plastered a smile on again.

The student stood there for a few moments, rapping his fingers against the strap of his bag as he thought. “Eh, sure why not,” he replied.

“Really?!” Sungjong exclaimed.

The other nodded. “I’m bored,” he explained.

“Fantastic!” Sungjong couldn’t hide his excitement or relief. “Thank you,” he said and then began to walk away. “I guess I’ll see you later then.” He turned around.

“Wait!” Sungjong turned around and saw the other with a smirk on his face. It looked derisive, but before Sungjong could feel offended, the other spoke, “Don’t you need my contact information?”

“Oh right,” Sungjong muttered as he walked back up to the other. He pulled out his phone. “My name is Lee Sungjong, by the way.”

“Lee Sungyeol,” the other revealed abruptly, grabbing the phone from Sungjong and typed his phone number in it. “Here,” Sungyeol said as he handed the phone back. “Later.”

Sungjong watched the other leave. Lee Sungyeol, he seemed strange. Sungjong couldn’t really follow his train of thought. Several times in that short conversation, Sungjong felt like he’d annoyed the other, but then Sungyeol _did_ agree to help him. So Sungjong concluded that it didn’t really matter of what he thought of Sungyeol (for now). He had a model.

He turned around and gave Yina a thumbs up, and she returned on right back.

Sungjong had a model. Now he just needed the design.

* * *

Later that day, Yina and Sungjong were sitting down in her apartment. Sungjong didn’t know how she could afford such a spacious apartment on a college student’s budget, but he also learned not to question things when it came to her. She kept things private for a reason, he figured.

However there were some things that Sungjong wished that she didn’t keep private, like the fact she’d invited Sungyeol to join them. Sungjong discovered that fun fact when Yina had him answer her door and he opened it up to find no other than his model on the other side.

“Sungyeol-ssi, what are you doing here?”

“Noona invited me,” Sungyeol answered. “Can I come in?”

“Noona?” Sungjong repeated as he stepped aside, allowing the other to pass by.

“Eung,” Yina grunted and she moved aside so that Sungyeol could join her on the couch. “As it turns out, Sungyeol and I are old _friends_ ,” Yina said that and looked over at Sungyeol with a smile.

“ _Very_ old,” Sungyeol added, looking over at her with just as sly of a smile. “I must look different from the last time you saw me.”

“You’re taller,” she answered.

Sungyeol snorted. “Just a bit,” he admitted.

Yina then looked over to Sungjong. Good, someone remembered that he was in the room. “I thought that it’d be helpful for you to have him here as a muse,” she explained and rest her hand on Sungyeol’s back, who stiffened at the touch. Yina must’ve noticed and dropped her hand, pulling it into her lap. “Besides, you need to take his measurements.”

“Ah right,” Sungjong said with a wince. “I don’t have my measuring tape.” He didn’t expect his model to suddenly pop in.

Yina pulled one out of her pocket and unrolled it, wagging it. “I do. Let’s get started!”

“Great,” Sungjong responded sarcastically and he might’ve rolled his eyes because when he caught Sungyeol’s gaze, the model was looking back him with an eyebrow cocked, probably wondering if he should be offended.

And he shouldn’t be. This was all because of Sungjong and his mushy brain. Some things just couldn’t stick in his brain. Things would sink in and then just slip right through his brain, which meant that he could pick up things quickly but they often wouldn’t stay. And no matter how many times that he was taught about how to take measurements, Sungjong just couldn’t remember how to do it. But he was just going to have to make it up as he went. He’d asked Yina one too many times recently. So he accepted the measuring tape from her and asked Sungyeol to stand up, which he did, pulling up his pants.

“Let’s get started,” Sungyeol said. He then raised his arms up high, showing off his broad wing span, and said “Measure me!”

“Okay,” Sungjong muttered underneath his breath. He could feel his brow furrow deeply as he concentrated. What was it? How was he supposed to do this? Sungjong threaded the tape around Sungyeol’s back and brought both ends towards his chest. It was broader than he thought it would be. He had to lean in closely to thread it around. What part of the chest was he supposed to measure again? Sungjong didn’t know, but he was mumbling to himself that question as he moved the tape up and down the other’s chest. Sungyeol looked from the tape to Sungjong, back down to the tape again, a few times.

“Is this your first time?” Sungyeol asked.

“No,” Sungjong answered, sputtering into an embarrassed laugh. “I just keep forgetting how to do this.”

“Sungjong-ah.” Yina came up to his side without him knowing. Her movements were as smooth and silent as a cat’s. She plucked the tape from Sungjong’s hands and brought it up to the proper spot on the model’s chest, tightening it more and more across Sungyeol’s chest. “It’s from here,” she said, looking over at Sungjong. Yina then faced Sungyeol again and prodded at his chest. “Oh, nice and firm. You really _are_ different from before.”

“What did I say?” Sungyeol said with a smirk, which soon turned down into a grimace. “But, ow, can you let go?” He asked, but he also pulled her hands away from his chest. And Yina let him, holding her hands up in surrender.

“I’ll let you take over,” she turned once again towards Sungjong and dropped the tape into his hands. “And watch out. It seems like your model is a bit _sensitive_ ,” she whispered loudly into her friend’s ear and then shot a sly smile to Sungyeol before stepping back.

“I just don’t like it when people touch me,” Sungyeol spat back at her once Sungjong was about to put the tape against his arms. Sungjong stopped and stepped back. Sungyeol groaned. “Not you. You can touch me. I agreed to this knowing that you would touch me.”

“What?”

“Shit, you know what I mean,” Sungyeol tried to defend himself, lamely. “I agreed to be your model. You have to touch me to take measurements. So…go ahead.”

“Okay,” Sungjong said as he began to put the tape against the other’s skin, gingerly. “I’ll be _very_ gentle.”

Sungyeol snorted. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you?” Sungjong responded with a coy smile and a faint ‘no.’ Sungyeol snorted again. “It’s no wonder why you two are friends.”

Sungjong looked over at Yina and smiled. There were a lot of reasons why the two of them got along. Yes, they were both very playful and had rather bright personalities by nature, but they both weren’t the most honest people. It wasn’t like they were dishonest delinquents (well, at least Sungjong wasn’t. He could only speak for himself). But they both preferred to keep some things hidden, deep deeply hidden. The both of them still hadn’t talked about his break-up. They hadn’t even talked about Myungsoo in months. They both knew that if they were hiding something, then they had a good reason to do so and never pried.

In addition, Yina also looked after Sungjong, like she was right now, hovering over Sungjong’s shoulders as she guided him through the measurements.

“From here,” she said, tapping at a spot on Sungyeol’s slim hips.

“Oh, right,” Sungjong muttered. He was on his knees now as he measured Sungyeol’s legs, which were exactly longer than he expected. That was why he thought he wasn’t measuring from the right place and lowered the tape. But his instinct had been right, and Sungyeol’s legs were just _long_.

“You must not have a good memory,” Sungyeol remarked.

Sungjong giggled. “Probably,” he admitted.

“I have a great memory,” Sungyeol suddenly confessed.

Sungjong lowered the tape and gazed up at the other. “Really?”

Sungyeol was looking back at him with such a blank expression that Sungjong wasn’t sure if he was bragging or just stating a fact. “Yes,” he answered with just as much emotion as he was showing.

So Sungjong tried to get him to react somehow and started quizzing him. He asked Sungyeol what he had for dinner two weeks ago (spicy stir fried chicken). What was the name of his third grade teacher? Choi-seonsaengnim, who had two children and a dog. What did he wear last Thursday? That, Sungyeol couldn’t remember. He had no interest in fashion and has accidentally worn a shirt a few days in a row because of it. Sungjong must’ve looked confused at this because Sungyeol emphasized again that he was doing this because he was bored and it seemed like fun.

Sungjong accepted that reasoning and asked another question: “What about your first kiss?”

Sungyeol scoffed, grinning broadly. Over the course of this ‘quizzing,’ Sungyeol had thawed and showed his warm smile and personality underneath his cold exterior. “Who can forget that? I bet even _you_ could remember yours,” yes, and he showed his playful and teasing side too.

Sungjong’s smile faltered. He did remember all too well, even though he had been trying his best to forget. It was with Myungsoo, on a blustery day. Sungjong could remember that clearly because the strong winds kept knocking them together as if the forces of nature wanted them to be close, wanted them to do this. The hoods of their coats were pulled tightly over their heads, hiding their faces, which was probably why Myungsoo had decided to suddenly kiss the other when two of them ducked inside a café to warm up. As they were stepping inside, the winds pushed Sungjong one final time into Myungsoo, and that’s when it happened. But then the winds started blowing them into different directions, making them drift further and further apart.

“I do remember,” Sungjong admitted and stood up. “I think we’re done here. You’re free to go.”

And Sungyeol did leave, but not without shooting the younger several confused glances while saying his goodbyes to Yina. But all of those went unnoticed by Sungjong who was busy writing down the measurements.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Sungjong devoted most of his time to designing, and re-designing, and over-designing, and then un-designing this outfit for the fashion show. He did this mostly at Yina’s place, which had the space for it. And more often than not, Sungyeol would stop by. Yina must’ve invited him the first few times so that Sungjong could get “inspired” and test out what would look good on his model. But then, it probably became a habit to show up at Yina’s place after classes. Occasionally, Sungjong wouldn’t ask Sungyeol to try anything on, and Sungyeol would just be there, doing his homework and writing code. When that happened, sometimes Sungyeol would interrupt Sungjong to show off whatever he was doing, a finished code that took him hours to write. Sungjong would be impressed, even though he didn’t quite understand what Sungyeol was doing most of the time, and praised him. Sungyeol would praise Sungjong too, saying that his design looked cool and that he was going to make him look handsome. And Sungjong’s confidence in fashion began to grow. He began to think that maybe he could really do this, that all of his doubts were for naught.

But then that came tumbling down one afternoon. Sungjong had finished a pair of trousers and was having Sungyeol try them on, but they were too small and too tight. Sungjong had forgotten to account for seams when he’d cut the fabric.

“You’re not too good at this are you?” Sungyeol blurted out. Sungjong paused for a second. He was helping Sungyeol tug down the tight pants. He then blew at his bangs and gave a sharp tug until the pants fell to Sungyeol’s feet.

“No, I guess I’m not,” Sungjong agreed. He then got up and grabbed his coat. “I’m going out for a bit. I need to think over some things…this design,” he said to his two friends, giving them the slenderest of smiles.

Yina stood up from the couch. “Okay, come back soon, all right?” she told him. Sungjong nodded as he turned around and left. But before the door closed behind him, he could hear a sharp slap and a yelp. Sungjong smiled genuinely for a second. Yina really was protective over him.

* * *

Sungjong didn’t go back to the apartment. He’d meant to, but his feet had taken him to an office building, which held multiple shops including his mother’s business. Actually, it wouldn’t be right to call it just his mother’s business because her mother had handed it down to her who received it from her own mother, and so on and so forth. Sungjong’s family had been in this line of business “since the gods roamed the earth,” or that’s what his mother had told him. And, in fact, it was a business as old as human civilization: match-making. His family claimed to be descended from those who selected wives and concubines for kings. Sungjong didn’t know if he fully bought that, but he did know that his mother had a surprisingly high success rate. She had an innate talent for reading people and finding them a good partner, a talent that she swore Sungjong had as well after his fifth grade teacher got married “because of your doing,” she told Sungjong. And Sungjong wasn’t quite sure what he did exactly. All he could remember was accidentally sending a “Happy New Year” card to his teacher’s neighbor. That neighbor gave the card to the rightful owner and then they married the next year. Sungjong hadn’t even known the neighbor, and he surely didn’t send the card there intentionally.

But his mother insisted that it didn’t matter. Match-making was in his blood and accidentally setting up couples around him was proof of that. Although Sungjong was now seriously questioning that when his own relationship had floundered. But he couldn’t deny one thing: match-making and the whole business of love felt comfortable with him. Even just by walking into his mother’s shop, Sungjong’s heart felt lighter. Many people were waiting in the lobby, looking hopeful and anxious before their appointments with the matchmakers. Sungjong empathized with them. He himself might take a break from relationships for a while, but he was still drawn to love. He still got excited about it. He still loved love.

And so, when he was finally able to meet with his mother and shared his concerns about his final project and his major, he finally gave into her earnest plea to just try to match-making once. Sungjong wanted to see if he was better at designing relationships than he was at designing clothes.

And he knew exactly who to set up first.

* * *

Kim Sunggyu was a recent graduate of Sungjong’s school, but he’d occasionally wander back on campus to meet with his younger friends, which was how they first met. Sunggyu was a good friend of one of Sungjong’s sunbaes, and they were introduced. Ever since then, whenever Sunggyu came back onto campus, he’d look Sungjong up and say “hello.” Sunggyu was a nice guy like that, but Sungjong felt as if the elder also had ulterior motives. During one of their meet-ups, Sungjong waved to his friend from the dance department. Sunggyu immediately stopped him. “You know her?!” he asked.

“Bora-noona? Yes, she’s a friend of Yina’s,” Sungjong answered. “Do you know her?”

“I’ve seen her around,” Sunggyu quickly brushed it off. “But you called her ‘noona’ just now. Are you two close?”

Sungjong shrugged. “I guess.” Sungjong had a _lot_ of girls who told him to call her “noona,” so Bora wasn’t that unique or that particularly close to Sungjong. But every time he met with Sunggyu after that, he’d ask how Bora was doing and what she was up to. It would be an understatement to say that he was interested in the dancer, which was even further proved when Sungjong finally offered to set the both of them up and Sunggyu began excitedly yelling into the phone about how he’d been wondering when Sungjong would get the hint and set them up.

So after nearly going deaf at Sunggyu’s excited rant, Sungjong now was tasked with getting Bora to agree to this date, and he didn’t expect it to be easy. Bora was well aware of Sunggyu and didn’t seem to have the greatest impression of him. They both had met before Sungjong attended the school, and Bora mentioned that she didn’t like how Sunggyu carried himself. He was too cocky, arrogant. She didn’t seem interested in looking past Sunggyu’s exterior or getting to know him at all. So Sungjong was fully prepared with a list of reasons, which he’d actually written down, for her to go on this date with Sunggyu. But, to his surprise, Sungjong didn’t have to say any of them. Bora immediately agreed to the date, leaving Sungjong to wonder if she was just feigning disinterest this whole time.

She wasn’t.

At first, Sungjong thought that the match was successful. Sunggyu had called him up after the date and told him how well it went. Bora even agreed to meet with him a second time, then a third, and a fourth. But it was after that fourth date when Sunggyu started to suspect that something was up. Him and Bora kept meeting at the same place every time and he began to notice how often her eyes would wander around the room, as if she were looking out for someone. And on the fifth date, his suspicions came true. Bora had excused herself to use the bathroom, but after waiting ten minutes for her to return, Sunggyu got up from the table to check to see if anything was wrong. Oh, something was wrong alright. Bora wasn’t even in the bathroom, but in the kitchen, kissing the dishwasher that worked there. Sunggyu saw the two of them through the window of the kitchen door.

Worst of all, Sunggyu knew the dishwasher. It was Kwangsuk, another student from the dance department. That’s when he realized that Bora only agreed to this date to make Kwangsuk jealous, to spur the dishwasher into action. And it worked.

And it also broke Sunggyu’s heart.

But his night didn’t end there. As he was charging out of the restaurant like a bull, Sunggyu called Sungjong and began filling him in about everything that happened. He was yelling, he was incredibly upset, and Sungjong could tell that he was on the verge of tears. Luckily, Sungjong was already out drinking nearby with another one of his many noonas (Jinjoo) and told Sunggyu to join them. He did. So Sungjong introduced Sunggyu to Jinjoo.

And the two of them started dating after that night, much to Sungjong’s surprise. Two couples from one set-up? Maybe he _was_ good at this.

* * *

He was telling Yina and Sungyeol this the next time the three of them were meeting at Yina’s place. And that’s when Sungyeol revealed something interesting:

“Didn’t Sunggyu and Jinjoo used to date?” he asked Sungjong, who wasn’t even aware that the two knew each other or that Sungyeol knew either of them.

“They did?” Sungjong thought back to that night, to the way Sunggyu and Jinjoo looked at each other. They both of them were visibly shocked, Sungjong remembered that, but he’d thought it was love at first sight. Apparently that was wrong.

“Well, maybe it wasn’t _that_ Jinjoo,” Sungyeol continued. “But I remember him saying that he had a girlfriend in high school by that name.”

Yina put down her work and joined the conversation: “I remember oppa saying that too. He _apparently_ told that story to a lot of people, the girlfriend he broke up with because they were going to schools in different cities.”

“Wait,” Sungjong muttered as he screwed his face in thought. “ _I’ve_ heard this story too! Was this also the girl who he said that their first kiss kept her from moving away?”

Sungyeol snorted. “I think so. Aish, this hyung,” he swore with a great grin on his face as he leaned back in his seat, stretching. “Obviously he hadn’t stopped thinking about her if he keeps ranting on about her to anyone who will listen.”

“Woah,” Sungjong mumbled lowly in amazement. “And I brought them back together.”

“How do know Jinjoo anyway?” Yina asked.

“During orientation?” Sungjong replied unsurely. “She’s in the same class as me, but she’d transferred from another school to join the nursing program here so she’s older. But I didn’t know she was _that_ old.” Sungyeol and Yina laughed at that remark.

“Well, that’s good for them, but _I_ could never get back together with one of my exes,” Yina responded with a shiver.

“Just how many exes do you have?” Sungyeol teased.

“That’s none of your concern,” Yina quickly shut him down and then got up from the couch and went into the kitchen.

“Fuck,” Sungyeol whispered. “Did I just piss her off?”

“Nah,” Sungjong brushed it off. “She’s just a really private person.”

“Is that so?” Sungyeol asked. Sungjong nodded. “She doesn’t seem like it, but…okay,” he accepted. “Just as long as I didn’t upset her.”

“You didn’t,” Sungjong assured him. “But hyung?”

“Hm?”

“Would you ever get back together with one of your exes?” Sungjong asked. He couldn’t help but to think back to Myungsoo during this whole conversation, especially how they left things slightly open-ended. If it worked for Sunggyu and Jinjoo, could it work for them?

“To be honest, I really don’t know,” Sungyeol answered. “I guess it depends on which ex.” He then laughed. “You know, it’s funny that you asked this because my high school boyfriend and I broke up for the same reason Sunggyu and Jinjoo did, well, except for the fact that I was a year above him. And I remember what he said clearly.” He then cleared his throat to do an imitation of his old boyfriend: “Maybe when we’re both older, we can try this again.”

And it sounded exactly like Myungsoo.

“My ex told me the same thing,” Sungjong revealed. “Well, something similar. He said, ‘maybe when I’m less busy.’” His voice gradually lowered in excitement as he spoke. This was the first time that he was actually talking about the break-up with anybody.

“Really? I wonder if it’s a thing people say when they break-up?” Sungyeol suggested.

“Probably,” Sungjong recovered a bit of his brightness. “Not everyone breaks up with someone because they are too busy exploring the world and taking pictures.”

Sungyeol perked up. “Your ex was into photography too?” he asked. Sungjong nodded. “Hm? It must be a more common hobby than I thought,” he said and leaned back into the chair. “Although my ex had looks that suited being in front of the camera rather than behind it,” he bragged. Sungjong stopped what he was doing. “Yes, I dated some handsome people because I myself am handsome,” he continued boasting, trying to draw a laugh or a remark from the other and was confused when Sungjong remained silent. “What?”

“Your ex sounds like mine,” Sungjong finally voiced his suspicion.

“Eh, that’s impossible,” Sungyeol dismissed it with a wave. “Everyone thinks that who they date is handsome, but _my_ ex was really handsome, seriously, and he had a very unique voice, like an anime character. It couldn’t have been the same person.”

“So did mine!” Sungjong insisted. There was a reason why Sungyeol’s imitation roused so much suspicion. “I used to joke that it was because he watched too much anime, so he was starting to sound like one.”

Sungyeol was starting to look just as concerned as Sungjong felt. “I did too,” he admitted lowly. “Did yours also eat kimchi stew for a solid year too?”

“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t put it past him,” Sungjong replied. “When he liked something, he _really_ liked something. Like his favorite color…”

“Black,” they both said in unison.

“Fuck,” Sungyeol cursed as he drug a hand down his face. “Was your ex…was his name Kim Myungsoo by any chance?”

“Yes,” Sungjong answered cautiously. And they both fell silent, but kept their eyes on each other, sizing each other up.

After a few moments, Sungyeol broke the silence and his gaze and collapsed onto the sofa: “Fuck, this is weird.”

“It is,” Sungjong admitted.

He couldn’t see how he was like Sungyeol at all. He kept thinking about it even after Sungyeol left that night. Sungjong couldn’t understand it. He could only guess that Myungsoo’s taste in men seriously changed after he broke up with Sungyeol. But did Myungsoo himself totally change too? Was Sungyeol responsible for it? Or were he and Sungyeol were more similar than he thought?

* * *

Sungjong decided to test his luck again. Maybe it was a fluke. Those couples may have gotten together without his interference eventually. So this time he decided to set up two people who he _knew_ didn’t know each other. Sungyeol had a friend in his computer science department, Lee Howon, who seemed kind of lonely and sad (or maybe that was because Sungyeol had never really seen him smile in class). And Sungjong had a friend in the dance department who was up for anything and so he was a go-to model for some fashion students, in spite of his small size. That was how Sungjong got to know him. He watched Dongwoo walk down the runway wearing what appeared to be garbage bags and tinsel. But the dancer still seemed to make it work. So Sungjong supposed if anyone could brighten up the gloomy computer science student’s day, it would be Dongwoo.

But they didn’t work out the way that he thought they would. The two still became partners, but not romantic ones. Instead, the two of them started a project together, experimenting with motion capture and dance in order to bring Dongwoo’s stages to another level. The both of them became so enthralled with this project that they decided to put romantic relationships on the back burner as they pursued this endeavor. They thanked Sungjong for the introduction, as if this is what Sungjong had intended for them all along.

Yina still told him to consider it as a success. “Business partnerships are better than romantic ones,” she told him. “You make money and don’t waste it. And it’s harder to find someone with whom you can work perfectly. It’s not as hard to find someone to bang.”

Sungjong rolled his eyes. “Banging” really wasn’t his end goal. He wanted to help people find love, but he bit his tongue. Yina had a twisted sense of relationships. Her friendship with Sungjong (and her growing one with Sungyeol) was the healthiest one she had. All of her other relationships were questionable. It wasn’t like she mixed business with pleasure. No, it was more like pleasure was her business. He’d seen Yina hop into expensive cars with older men. Sungjong never questioned her about it. He didn’t want to know.

But there was a reason why he rarely talked about relationships with her. She didn’t understand love. Sungjong didn’t really either, but he was trying to learn.

So he tried to set up a third couple.

The girl’s name was Yoo Eunjae. She was a first year psychology student, but she seemed to be attracted to the subject because she didn’t seem to understand humans well at all. When Sungjong asked her what kind of guy she like, she’d blush and say “I don’t know.” She found even herself to be a mystery. Being at a loss as to what guy would suit her, Sungjong set her up on a date with three guys at once, who all had different kinds of personalities: a gentle sunbae, a shy first year, and a quirky guy that should’ve graduated years ago. He had a feeling that Eunjae would like the “sunbae” type, and he wasn’t wrong. After the date, she reported back to him, finally deciding on her type. She wanted to meet with her sunbae again. But, unfortunately, he didn’t want to meet with her. He was turned off by the idea of sharing the date with two other guys and concluded that she was fickle. Eunjae was distraught when she learned this and was not cheered up by the fact that the other two dates had wanted to see her again. She only wanted her sunbae. And for the next few days, whenever Sungjong ran into her on campus, her eyes were red and puffy, her mouth a permanent pout.

Until one day, he saw her smiling, beaming happily with her arm around her sunbae. What was this? Sungjong asked Eunjae who then told him this story:

> After the class they shared together, Eunjae ended up crying again. She really couldn’t help the tears from flowing out, and she hated it. But she really felt like she’d missed her chance at love. And that’s when her sunbae came back into the classroom to pick up the water bottle that he’d left behind. Being the gentle soul that he was, he asked her what was wrong, and (to Sungjong’s surprise) she was honest with him. She said that she was sorry but she really liked him. She hadn’t even thought about or cared for the two other guys that night. The sunbae had her at “hello.”
> 
> And it was that honesty that won the sunbae over.

So Sungjong figured that, in spite of a slight moment of pain, the match was a success. Sungyeol thought the same, when Sungjong had told him about this match and the one before too. And luckily, Sungyeol was less of a cynic than Yina was. He was impressed. He whistled lowly and said, “That’s some crazy luck…or talent. I can’t really figure out which, but…I guess sometimes they go hand in hand, right? Your talent is that you’re lucky at this,” Sungyeol concluded, slamming the table when he reached it. Sungjong laughed. Sungyeol was a more excitable person than he gave him credit for. Sungjong liked it. Sungyeol was fun.

“You think so?” Sungjong asked as he raked through his hair with his fingers. “My mom keeps insisting that I have a talent for it too, but I think she’s just saying that so I could join the family business.”

Sungyeol stood up straight and cocked his head. “I don’t think that’s it,” he remarked. “You know me. I’m honest, right?”

“A little too honest,” Sungjong teased him. He chuckled as he could hear Sungyeol mutter some swears under his breath, saying that Sungjong was being “insolent.” So Sungjong flashed him a warm smile. “But I like it!” he insisted. “It’s refreshing. More people should be like you,” he ended with a bit of aegyo, firing at the other with his finger.

Sungyeol grinned. “Thank you,” his voice was soft when he said it. Sungjong made a mental note to compliment Sungyeol like this more often. It was a rare sight to see him so subdued. Sungyeol obviously liked being complimented, a lot. “Anyways,” Sungyeol began again, clearing his throat. “You seem to be talented at match-making. And you know that I wouldn’t just say this to make you feel better.”

“I know,” Sungjong muttered and lowered his head. The both of them were leaning against Yina’s kitchen island, waiting for her to get ready before they all went out for dinner. Sungjong drew patterns in the granite countertop with her fingers. “You said that I was bad at designing a few times already”

“It just slipped out,” Sungyeol said as if it were any excuse.

“You can’t compliment me just once?” Sungjong raised his head and whined. “I’ve improved! Your pants fit last time!” he pointed out. Sungjong made the pants almost perfectly the second time. There was some puckering at the seams, but they fit!

“They did,” Sungyeol admitted. He then tilted his head and looked the other up and down. “But look at yourself, Lee Sungjong,” he told him and then clicked his tongue. “Are you a human or a tangerine? I can’t tell”

Sungjong pulled away from the island and looked at his own outfit. There was nothing odd about it. It was just jeans, a plain white tee, and an orange peacoat. Sungjong cocked an eyebrow at the other. “This is fashion,” he retorted, drawing a scoff from Sungyeol. “Eh, you don’t understand. You have no interest in it,” Sungjong reminded him. After all Sungyeol was wearing the same black, long sleeved shirt with an image from _Titanic_ on it that he wore the other day, and he probably didn’t realize it.

“I don’t,” Sungyeol readily agreed. “But I do know the phrase ‘the face completes the fashion,’ and that’s what’s going on here,” he said, waving his hand all over in the general direction of the younger.

“Oh!” Sungjong gasped. He then looked slyly at the other. “Did you just say I was handsome?” he asked. Sungyeol’s jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. Sungjong clapped his hands and wagged his finger at the other. “You did!”

“I guess,” Sungyeol muttered, closing his mouth a bit. “Yes, I did and you know you are. I am too!” he turned it around and started patting his chest. “This is why I’m not concerned about fashion because my face always completes it,” he bragged. He then patted the younger on the back. “That’s why Hyung will get you an A. Just wait and see”

That was the plan, originally, but after getting to know Sungyeol, Sungjong had lost sight of that. Sungyeol seemed very different now from back then, when Sungjong and Yina were stalking the science buildings. Sungyeol became more than a student with a pretty face and model-like proportions. He was a good friend now.

“Hyung will get you an A,” that touched Sungjong. I mean, it was the whole reason why Sungjong had picked Sungyeol in the first place, but now, when the model said that, his heart fluttered. And it had actually rendered him speechless for a moment.

Luckily, Yina came out of her bedroom, with every hair in place and every curve of her body hugged. “Let’s go, boys!” she said, blowing past them and going straight for the door.

“Yes!”

* * *

After dinner, Yina left to meet with someone. Sungjong watched her go with a worried expression. He wondered for a second if he should set her up, make her believe in a purer love, but then Sungyeol asked him a question that he didn’t expect: “Sungjong-ah, will you set me up?”

“Huh?”

Sungyeol looked down at his feet. “I have bad luck, terrible luck, especially in relationships,” he confessed in a small voice. And Sungjong knew all about Sungyeol’s luck. His computer crashed often, his phone just seemed to fly out of his hands on a whim, and he had his bike stolen the other day. So if his luck was even worse in relationships, no wonder why he seemed so desperate. “And you seem to have this crazy good luck, so I was wondering if you can share it with me.”

“Sure,” Sungjong replied.

Sungyeol lifted his head showing his smile. “Really?”

Sungjong nodded, but he couldn’t smile along with the other. “Of course. I’d like to share my luck with you.”

“Thanks, Sungjong,” Sungyeol replied as he began walking away. “I’ll be your greatest challenge!” His smile got wider and wider as he spoke. “If you can set me up, you can set anyone up!”

Sungjong could only nod and wave goodbye to the other. Setting up Sungyeol was going to be quite the challenge, and his bad luck was only one of the reasons why.

* * *

Sungjong was lying on Yina’s couch, playing with his hair while the tv was playing in the background. He wasn’t paying attention to it. No, his mind was elsewhere right now.

“Hm?” Yina hummed as she walked out of her bedroom. She looked around the room. “Where’s Sungyeol?”

“On a date,” Sungjong answered with a sigh.

“What?!” Yina yelped and jumped down onto the couch, sitting at Sungjong’s feet. She then leaned over him, hovering. “With whom?”

“Seo Janghoon,” Sungjong answered, a bit afraid of her reaction. But Yina retracted and sat straight up in her seat. “I set him up. But don’t worry! I invited Eun and Yeji to go too. I set up a double date,” Sungjong said as he sat up himself. He knew Sungyeol could be a bit self-aware, conscious about how he appeared in public, so Sungjong invited another potential couple to join them, both girls who seemed to need this extra push to become a real couple. He then looked over at his friend and smiled. “I’m good, aren’t I?”

“Sungjong-ah,” Yina called to her friend but she was still facing straight ahead. “Janghoon is straight.”

“What?!” Sungjong exclaimed and jolted in his seat. But Yina still wasn’t looking at him. No, she seemed a little too stoic. “Eh hey,” Sungjong uttered and nudged her playfully. “You’re joking with me. You are, aren’t you? This is a joke! You’re funny.” He kept talking but she still didn’t react, until one extra hard shove had her swinging her head towards him.

“I’m not joking,” she insisted. Yina then groaned and rubbed the space between her eyes.

Sungjong felt a headache coming on too because no matter how hard he thought, this still didn’t make any sense. “Then why did he agree to go?” he mumbled his thoughts out loud.

“I don’t know,” Yina grumbled, resting her hands on the side of her face. “There are two girls going, right? Maybe he thought you were setting him up with one of them?”

Sungjong shook his head vehemently. “No that can’t be it. Everyone knows that Yeji likes Eun.”

“True, but how does Eun feel?”

“She likes her back, doesn’t she? It seems like it.” Sungjong was starting to lose all confidence in this double date. And it didn’t help that Yina could only respond with a shrug. This didn’t sit well with Sungjong, not at all.

* * *

As it would turn out, Yeji truly did like Eun and was overjoyed by this match. But Eun didn’t return her feelings and only cared for Yeji as a dear friend. Instead Eun liked Janghoon. The two of them really hit it off that night, talking to each other only from beginning to end, which put both Yeji and Sungyeol in an awkward situation.

Sungyeol came straight into Yina’s apartment after the disaster of a date that didn’t even last two hours (before Janghoon and Eun decided to separate from the rest) but it felt like an eternity. He unloaded onto them about the whole night, after Yina put a beer in his hand. But, luckily, he didn’t blame Sungjong for the failure, but he blamed himself for it: “My bad luck interfered with yours, and it diverted it and twisted it and screwed it all up.” He sighed and took a swig from his drink before continuing, “I don’t think my luck will ever change. Yours didn’t even skew it.”

“Ah! I got it!” Sungjong exclaimed while clapping his hands and bouncing in his spot. “How about I try two more times?”

Sungyeol sputtered, nearly spitting out his drink, but he managed to swallow it down. “Twice?” he asked while coughing.

“Right, two,” Sungjong repeated, holding up two fingers, but then he held up one more. “Because they always say that third time’s the charm.”

“Third time’s the charm, eh?” Sungyeol reiterated. He tilted his head to the side and rolled his eyes over to Sungjong. “So the next date will fail?”

“Yes!” Sungjong answered quickly and confidently, making the both of them laugh. While they were, Sungjong patted the other to get his attention again. “But we know it will fail, so don’t be too disappointed when things don’t work out,” he told him.

Then the laughter was gone. “I’ll try not to be,” Sungyeol replied, followed by a heavy sigh. “But it’s hard. It never feels nice to be rejected, even if you expect it.”

“Hyung!” Sungjong exclaimed and was patting him harder. “Don’t be down! You’re a handsome guy!”

Sungyeol looked surprised. “You think so?”

“Yes!” Sungjong answered without thought. He then began listing things, ticking each thing off with his fingers: “And you’re kind and considerate. Tall! You’re funny!” Sungyeol was basking in the glow of this praise which made Sungjong snigger as he finished, “I won’t have any trouble at all finding someone for you.”

“Thank you, Sungjong,” Sungyeol said. “It means a lot.” Now he was the one patting the other. And with every touch, a tingle swept through his body. Sungjong marked it up to not experiencing skinship for a long while. His relationship with Myungsoo had been a long distance one recently, and now to have a man with a handsome face like Sungyeol’s and that soft gaze, it was no wonder why Sungjong’s body was reacting this way.

But then he stiffened when another voice spoked up. “What about Yeji though?” Sungjong had forgotten that Yina was still in the room. “Did you all forget her?” Both of the boys swung their heads over to her, and Yina just raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

Sungyeol faced Sungjong again. “Ah, that’s right,” he muttered, closing his eyes. “Yeji wanted me to give you her thanks.”

Sungjong was surprised. “Why?” he asked.

“Yes, why?” Yina interjected. “She must be devastated right now. Her and Eun are best friends, and she thought they could be something more.”

Sungyeol looked over at her again. “It’s because she knew that she was hoping for too much,” he explained. He then looked down at his hand, playing with his long fingers. “Yeji knew that Eun…didn’t feel the same way and wouldn’t. But she deluded herself into thinking that she would.” He turned towards Sungjong and added, “She decided to finally give up and focus on loving herself for now.”

“That’s sad,” Sungjong mumbled, pouting deeply. “Is she sure? I could try again for her too,” he offered.

“Don’t you dare,” Yina commanded. “A best thing a person can do is love themselves. That’s why I’m the love of my life,” she was serious when she said that. Sungjong didn’t mean to look at her pitifully but he did. He was happy that she liked herself so much, seriously. But he wished that she could find someone who loved her as much as she loved herself, which was a lot actually. Now she was hugging her body tightly and squealing, “I’m so good to me.” Then she got up from her seat. “I’m gonna go love myself some more,” she announced, heading for her bedroom. “Jjong-ah? Do you want a face pack?” she asked, peeking her head out of the doorway. Sungjong nodded.

“Me too! Me too!” Sungyeol said, excitedly, and raised his hand. Sungjong scoffed. “What? It’s been a long day.”

And that’s how they ended the night. The three of them wearing face packs while watching a late night variety show, trying not to laugh, but failing.

It was one of the best nights Sungjong had in a long while, and it didn’t go unnoticed. The next day, Yina commented about how much more smiley Sungjong was recently. She told him that she hadn’t seen him like that in months. What she had wanted to say (and Sungjong knew it) was that Sungjong hadn’t been so happy since Myungsoo left. But of course, the two of them don’t say things like that for each other.

And neither of them gave voice to the reason why: Lee Sungyeol.

The following day, Sungjong learned why.

* * *

“Do you want me to set you up, noona?” Sungjong finally asked her one day when the two of them were at her apartment, putting the finishing touches on their projects. Yina looked up from her sewing machine and over at her friend with a cold expression. “I know. You can do fine on your own, but there’s nothing wrong with accepting a little help,” Sungjong defended himself. He then returned to his own work and mumbled, “I just want you to date someone nice.”

“You got lucky with a few couples, and now you think you can chose someone better for me than I can?” her words had a bite to them.

“Maybe,” Sungjong answered honestly, not backing down. He knew he could do a better job for her than she did herself. “Just let me try one time,” he begged, pouting his lips and using aegyo. “Please.”

Yina softened, both in face and in voice: “Fine”

“Okay!” Sungjong exclaimed and rushed over to her side. “So what do you look for in a guy? What’s your style? What’s the number one thing that a guy must have?”

“Money,” Yina replied. She grinned coyly. “Lots of money”

Sungjong frowned. “I’m being serious,” he complained.

“So am I,” she retorted. Sungjong shot her a glare and went back over to his station. He didn’t get very far. What Yina said next stopped him in his tracks: “But maybe there is someone who you could set me up with.”

Sungjong spun towards her, jaw unhinged. “Who?”

Yina lowered her head, smiling to herself. “Your model,” she answered in a small voice.

“Sungyeol?!” Sungjong felt his eyes bulging.

“Eung,” she couldn’t even say it properly and kept her eyes on her work.

“But…he likes men,” Sungjong stammered as he approached her table.

“I know,” Yina said, finally putting down her work and looking up at her friend. “That doesn’t mean he can’t like women too.”

“True,” Sungjong spoke slowly. He thought back to his first date for Sungyeol. He’d just assumed that Sungyeol was looking for a guy. But maybe that was wrong of him, like it was wrong of him to assume that Janghoon was gay. There was another assumption that Sungjong was making: Yina was very straight forward with men. Why was she acting like this? “But why don’t you ask him yourself? You don’t need me to set up guys up,” he pointed out.

“I know, but I can’t bring myself to ask him,” she confessed.

“Oh my God,” Sungjong exclaimed and cover his mouth that was hanging low again. “You’re shy. He makes you shy!” He couldn’t believe it.

Like he couldn’t believe that Yina was actually blushing right now. “Shut up,” she muttered, not liking to be teased like this. “So will you do it?”

“Of course,” that response came out strongly although his resolve was weak. He hadn’t expect this turn of events. He didn’t expect him and Yina to fall for the same guy.

But Sungjong couldn’t say “no” either. Yina finally wanted to date a good guy. He had to see this through, even if it hurt him to do so.

But first, he had to check something: “Hyung, do you like girls too?”

They were at a café together. With the end of the semester approaching, the both of them were wrapped up in their own projects and hadn’t seen each other in a while, until Sungjong asked him to meet. And true to form, Sungyeol came in wearing the same pair of destressed jeans he always did and that Titanic shirt again. Whereas Sungjong had put together an entirely new ensemble with a striped, cable-knit sweater, and topped it all off with a pale grey beret. He was prim and polished, and Sungyeol was wearing the same old thing. And it never looked better on him.

Sungyeol shrugged as he continued to chew on the straw of his drink. “I guess it depends,” he replied. He then put down the drink. “I haven’t in a while, but…I have before,” he admitted and shifted in his seat. “Why? Did you find someone?”

“Maybe,” Sungjong said, pushing his latte aside.

“It doesn’t matter, right?” Sungyeol reminded him with a twinkle in his eyes. “It’s the second date. It won’t work out. So I might as well try, right?”

As much as Sungjong hoped that to be true, he shook his head and said, “I wouldn’t discount her just yet.”

Sungyeol now seem more interested than ever. “Who is it?” he asked.

“It’s a surprise,” Sungjong replied with a forced smile. If Sungyeol knew who it was, he might have reservation. “Just meet me at Yina’s at 7, okay? You better come!”  
“I will!” Sungyeol promised.

Sungjong normally liked how easy going Sungyeol was, but a small part of him wished that Sungyeol said “no.”

* * *

Sungyeol came to the apartment before 7, and he had entirely changed his outfit from earlier. Now he was, what Sungjong would normally consider to be, properly dressed. A nice pair of slacks without a single hole in them, and a nice, fitted button-down shirt. Even though Sungyeol was already considering this date to be a failure, he was going to put his all into it anyway.

But curiously, Sungyeol was eyeing the other too. He teased Sungjong for not changing outfits like he did. He even mocked and played with Sungjong’s long black hair that had been matted down from the beret. Sungjong moved his head away and fixed his hair. Sungyeol assumed that Sungjong was coming with him then, but he had no idea what was coming for him.

And then that “what” burst through her bedrooms doors. Sungjong turned around, expecting Yina to dress as she usually does, with a figure flattering short dress and a full face of make-up. But tonight, she was dressed in black jeans and a turtleneck sweater, which was still tight like most clothing she owned, but she looked incredibly casual for this date. It surprised Sungjong. Yina was turning a corner. She was trying her best but in a different way. She was being herself.

“Are you ready?” she asked, slinking past them and heading towards the door. But as she went, she threaded her arm around Sungyeol’s and pulled him along with her.

Sungyeol threw his head back to Sungjong. “Her?” he mouthed. Sungjong nodded, still rooted in the kitchen as Yina opened the door. Sungyeol was stunned. He kept looking between her and Sungjong until the front door closed behind them.

When it did, Sungjong let out a long sigh. Now he was going to get changed, go home, and go to bed. He was done for the night.

* * *

Later that night, Sungjong got a text from Yina:

“Best night of my life! I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow. So much to tell. No time now. Gotta go!”

Sungjong sighed and put the phone on his night stand. It looked like Sungyeol wouldn’t be needing that third date.

But then he got another message. Sungjong rolled onto his side and read it. It was from Sungyeol this time:

“Lee Sungjong! Come on out!”

Sungjong sat up in his bed and texted back, “Why?”

“Yah! Lee Sungjong! Come out!” that wasn’t a text. That was a shout coming from outside. Sungjong crawled out of bed and went to his window. Sungyeol was there, right outside, waving his arms like a maniac, which he might as well be this late at night. He appeared to be drunk too. He was waving a little too hard and teetered to the side. Sungjong gestured to him that he’d be right down, to which Sungyeol shouted back, “Hurry!”

Luckily, Sungjong’s villa was only a few floors from the bottom, so Sungyeol didn’t have to wait that long or continue shouting. He was down within a few minutes. He then walked up to the other, who was beaming and still swaying. “What is it?” Sungjong asked, wrapping his arms around himself. It was cold, and in his haste, he forgot his coat or to put on outdoor shoes. He was just in his blue pajamas and slippers. “Where’s noona?”

Sungyeol shrugged. “I don’t know,” he answered in a sing-song voice.

Sungjong raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you two on a date?”

Sungyeol gave a slow nod. “We were and now we aren’t,” he answered.

“But…” Sungjong couldn’t complete that thought. He was confused. From the sound of Yina’s text, things went well. Things were still going on. But Sungyeol was here, giggling to himself.

“She’s with someone else,” Sungyeol revealed.

“Huh?”

“She met someone else, mhmm,” Sungyeol repeated, nodding at every word.

Sungjong winced. No wonder why Sungyeol was drunk now. His luck was seriously bad. Even Yina chose someone else over him. “Hyung, I’m sorry,” Sungjong apologized.

Sungyeol waved his hand in the air. “No, no, no, don’t be,” he insisted.

“But I am. I’m really sorry,” Sungjong repeated. “I wanted it to work out between you guys, seriously.”

At that, Sungyeol scoffed. “No, you don’t,” he argued.

“Yes, I do!” Sungjong raised his voice. “I just want you to be happy.”

“If you want me to be happy,” Sungyeol began but then he paused to hiccup up and then continued, looking more serious than ever, “then set me up on the third date. Set me up…right…now!”

Sungjong averted his eyes. “Hyung…I can’t. It’s late and…”

“Set me up…with you!”

“Wh-what?”

Sungyeol was still drunk but gazed steadily and seriously at the other. “I want my third date to be with you,” it was a confession followed another hiccup, and Sungjong couldn’t help himself but to burst into laughter. The confession was sloppy, it was cute, it was so Sungyeol. So of course, Sungjong agreed to the date.

But he thought it’d happen at another time, but Sungyeol ended up grabbing his hand and dragging him down the street and into the nearest convenience store. When Sungyeol had said “now,” he really meant it, which was fine with Sungjong, even if he didn’t have a coat or proper shoes. There was no reason to put off their happiness for a moment longer.

And it was during their impromptu date of ramyun, triangle kimbap, and water at the counter of the store, when Sungyeol finally began filling Sungjong in about what happened earlier that night.

* * *

Apparently, for the first half an hour of their date, which was at a fancy bar that Yina frequented, Sungyeol talked about nothing else except Sungjong, in particular, why Sungjong had set them up. He couldn’t understand it. And he understood it even less when Yina revealed that she had requested it.

And Sungyeol’s speechless reaction to that revelation rubbed Yina the wrong way. “What is it that you want exactly? That you’re looking for?” she snapped. “It’s hard to find a guy that turns me down,” she spoke as if that should convince him to relax and enjoy this date.

But Sungyeol just couldn’t. Something about this date just felt wrong. “Yeah, I get that feeling, but…” he stopped to groan. “I don’t know. I’m just looking for someone that…makes my heart race.”

“Make your heart race?” Yina responded with a laugh of disbelief. It sounded a bit condescending, but Sungyeol didn’t know if she meant for it to come off that way. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Sungyeol grunted. His eyes darted around him, uncomfortably. “Don’t we all want that?”

Yina leaned in close and whispered lowly, “I think it’s overrated.”

“Do I not make your heart race?” Sungyeol was getting confused now.

Yina shook her head and pulled away. “I think we get along great, don’t you?” she reasoned. Sungyeol nodded, cautiously. Yina smirked and continued, “And I wanted to try something different.”

“Someone within your age and tax bracket?” Sungyeol teased.

And she played along. “Crazy, right?”

“So…” Sungyeol drawled out as he spun towards the other. He leaned in closer and purposefully deepened his voice, placing his hand delicately on her back, looking at her with heavily lidded eyes, “I don’t make your heart flutter?”

He was trying to turn on his charm, but Yina remained still, staring him down. “You make me nervous, and I don’t know why,” she answered and placed her cheek in the palm of her hand, not breaking the gaze. So casual.

Sungyeol couldn’t take it anymore. He pulled back, cocking his head. “I don’t think it’s the reason that you think it is,” he declared. Yina didn’t even blush when Sungyeol touched her. She didn’t do anything. Even her pupils remained the same size. Sungyeol didn’t know what exactly Yina was feeling for him, but it wasn’t love.

She frowned. “Why would you say that?”

“Because if you liked me, you wouldn’t be questioning yourself about it,” Sungyeol replied. At that, Yina rolled her eyes and scoffed. “What?”

“Look at the pot calling the kettle black,” she remarked. “Aren’t you going back and forth about whether you like Sungjong or not?” She then took a large gulp of her whisky drink and winced from the subsequent burn. Still with a glass in hand, she pointed at the other. “Don’t deny it. I see you guys together, flirting. I said!” she raised her voice at the end when she noticed Sungyeol opening his mouth. “Don’t deny it,” she commanded darkly. And finally she looked away from him, facing forward as she raised the glass back up to her lips. “Sparks…fucking…flying everywhere, like…fucking Calcifer in that castle that moves.”

“Like in Howl’s moving castle?” Sungyeol asked with a chuckle. Yina could act as mature and grown up as she wanted, playing around with men twice her age, but she still had this innocent side to her. She was referencing a fucking romantic anime. Maybe she wasn’t so jaded after all.

Sungyeol wasn’t sure what happened to year these past several years. Her family had suddenly left the neighborhood when they were both in grade school. Her father’s company went under, and then there were rumors that they’d moved to a fishing village. Whether that was true or not, what Yina lived through had hardened her, but not all the way through. She still had a soft center. And Sungyeol was squishing it. He giggled again.

“Don’t change the subject,” Yina snapped.

“That’s different. I’m not questioning. I’m in denial,” Sungyeol blurted out and then started giggling after he realized what he said. He’d been burying his feelings for the younger man this whole time. “Or at least I was until I blurted it out just then.” But now that he’d given voice to them, a warm feeling overtook his body…and panic too. He felt exposed now.

Yina had been eating bar snacks at the time and the food fell from her mouth. “Denial?” she repeated and then began coughing. She apparently didn’t expect Sungyeol’s feelings to have escalated to the point of a full-blown crush, which in turned surprised Sungyeol too. What did she think was going on?

Now Sungyeol spun around in his seat, facing forward and away. It didn’t matter what Yina thought in the end, or how Sungyeol felt. He might as well not have a crush at all, which was why he kept denying it. “We have the same ex,” he grumbled, barely moving his lips. “Do you know how fucking weird that is?” he asked before taking a drink.

Yina leaned forward, entering his line of vision. “It’s not weird. Why would it be weird?” she asked.

Sungyeol glanced over. “It’s not?” he asked just to be safe. She shook her head. But that didn’t make him feel any better about it. Having Yina’s stamp of approval for a relationship didn’t mean much, especially since it wasn’t her approval that he wanted. “But Sungjong just got out of his relationship with him, and if Myungsoo ended it with him like he ended it with me, Sungjong could end up waiting for him for a long while,” he told her. Sungyeol liking Sungjong wasn’t enough, no matter how much he did. He had no chance with the younger if Myungsoo was still in his heart. Sungyeol sighed. “I don’t know if I can wait that long”

“Sungjong’s not waiting for Myungsoo”

Sungyeol nearly spit out his drink. “He’s not?”

Yina smirked, knowingly. “What did I say earlier? I _saw_ sparks. From you…” she said and pointed right at his eyes. She then put down her hand. “…and him”

“Really?” Sungyeol asked excitedly. He spun towards her again. “Sungjong likes me?”

Yina shrugged. “He’s attracted to you. He notices things about you. But…” her voice drifted down as she spoke. She wasn’t going to make any promises. “I’m Sungjong’s best friend, and I can’t even tell what’s going on with him sometimes.” Her lips then picked up into a small smile and she placed her hand over Sungyeol’s. “But he’s done with Myungsoo. That much I know. He wouldn’t flirt with you if he was waiting,” she pointed out and withdrew her hand.

Sungyeol frowned. No, that didn’t seem right either. “But he’d flirt with me even if he didn’t like me?” he argued.

“Some people flirt for fun,” she retorted and wiggled her eyebrows. “Like me,” it went without saying, but she did anyway. And she winked at the bartender as he passed by, who smiled shyly in response. She then mouthed a few things to him, which Sungyeol didn’t really pay attention to, but it drew a laugh from the bartender.

“Yeah, but Sungjong doesn’t,” once again, Sungyeol blurted it out without even thinking. And Yina thought he was just spewing out nonsense, judging by the look of her face. But it wasn’t nonsense. No, it was just the opposite. It made complete sense because: “Sungjong isn’t you. He likes me.”

“Oh?” she seemed amused by all of this and still in disbelief. “What makes you so confident all of the sudden?”

“I don’t know,” and that was an honest statement. It was more of a feeling than anything else. Finally talking through all of this made Sungyeol realize things, everything: that he was denying his feelings for Sungjong because of Myungsoo, that Sungjong was over his ex, and that Lee Sungjong like him. Indeed the third time would be a charm for him. Sungyeol was grinning so widely that the corners of his mouth felt like tearing.

“But he likes me. I’m sure of it now,” Sungyeol raised his voice and brought his hand down on the table. “100%!” He then put his hands in his lap after he noticed how frivolous he was acting and that people were watching. So he just giggled to himself and lowered his head. “Sungjong likes me.”

“Sungyeol.”

“Yes?” He raised his head again.

Yina pointed to his phone on the bar. “It’s ringing,” she told him.

“Oh.” Sungyeol’s smile got impossibly wide again. “He’s calling me right now because he likes me so much,” he bragged to Yina who rolled her eyes, waved her hand at him, and went to drain her drink (and steal Sungyeol’s when he wasn’t paying attention).

Sungyeol cleared his throat, trying to calm himself down, and he crossed his legs and leaned against the bar before answering the phone. “What is it, Sungjong-ah?” that was good. He sounded calm, but that only lasted for a second. He covered the receiver and began sniggering again. After clearing his throat again, he continued, “It’s going well.”

What happened to Yina that night? Well, she got bored of watching Sungyeol toy with Sungjong. Normally she’d enjoy watching someone play cat and mouse. It was one of her favorite pastimes. But now she realized why Sungyeol made her so nervous. He was toying with _her_ Sungjong. Yina grimaced as she picked up Sungyeol’s drink and left her seat. She hated her motherly instincts that she had for her friend, but most of all, she was hating that Sungyeol was coming between them.

Why hadn’t Sungjong called her to ask about the date?

She heaved a great sigh, but then raised her head back up and straightened her posture. No one could make her feel inferior without her consent, so she tried to carry on like she usually did, brazen and with a swing of her hips.

But even those plans got derailed when she lifted her head only to make awkward eye contact with a man sitting at the table right in front of her. It had been a few seconds and neither of them looked away. It was awkward. It was weird. But not as weird as whatever her heart was doing right now. “That’s weird,” she muttered, closing her eyes, and placed a hand over her chest. It almost felt like her heart stopped for a second. Maybe it was just her imagination.

No, no it wasn’t because when she opened her eyes again and saw the guy, her heart practically flipped in her chest. “What is this?” Now she was concerned. No one does this without her consent! She pointed at the man while glaring. “You!” she yelled. The man looked about him to see who she was yelling at. Yina groaned and pointed at him again, marching up to his table. “Yes, you! Who are you? A magician?”

The guy’s lips trembled as he stammered out his answer, “How did you know?”

“Fuck. You serious?” Yina asked. She couldn’t believe her luck. Magicians had the cheesiest job on the planet. She despised them, but…she was so attracted to _him_ , like she literally felt drawn towards him. Her damn heart wouldn’t stop doing cartwheels in her chest.

“Yes,” the magician answered her question, not knowing it was rhetorical.

“Go ahead,” Yina spoke like a sigh and pulled over a chair to sit at his table. “Show me a trick”

He didn’t just show her one trick. He put on an entire show for her, right at that small table. And Yina, she kinda liked it. In return for the show, she showed him a trick of her own, getting them free drinks by flirting with the bartender again.

Yina didn’t think she’d have anything in common with a magician, but the both of them made their money by creating illusions to please other people (for her, it was the fantasy of whatever young, beautiful girlfriend that her “boyfriends” wanted). And it had been a long well since she found someone deceiving her to be amusing.

Being with the magician made her feel young again, or at least made her feel her age. She felt like Sophie, transforming from a 90 year-old woman back into the 20 year-old she was. And he was her Howl.

* * *

After Sungyeol had told him all of this, he’d significantly sobered up and subsequently began falling asleep. Sungjong brought him back to the villa, and Sungyeol crashed on his bedroom floor. It wasn’t the greatest first date that Sungjong had ever had, but he loved it all the same. It suited them.

But he was still going to ask for a redo the next day.

That date went significantly better. They went out for a proper meal. Sungyeol made sure to wear a different shirt, and Sungjong hadn’t laughed so hard in a long time. After eating, they went for a walk. It was a cold but windless day. Sungjong stuck to Sungyeol’s side because he wanted to, and they both moved towards each other by their own accord for a good night’s kiss.

Their 9th date was the fashion show. Greatly inspired by his model/muse, Sungjong had designed a three-piece suit, decently tailored to suit Sungyeol’s body. Of course, this was Sungjong’s version of a three-piece suit, which meant Sungyeol was wearing more of a cape than a suit coat and the pants had so many embellishments that you could hear Sungyeol walk down the runway. But Sungyeol wore it like it was made for him (which it was). And he did get Sungjong that A.

And that A made Sungjong feel pleased enough with himself to decides to give up fashion as a career. He was really better at designing relationships. So, after graduating with his fashion degree, he’d join his mother’s company. He’d just have to satisfy his passion for fashion by styling his clients for dates.

He told Sungyeol of that decision during their date, and the older congratulated him on making a mature decision. But it was hard to take Sungyeol seriously because he was still wearing his runway make up. Sungyeol didn’t want to take it off because that would mean removing his eyebrows too, and he couldn’t have that. And Sungjong was fine eating in public with his boyfriend in heavy make up. They were both a bit shameless. They both had bold and bright personalities. The type of people that could draw a quiet person (Myungsoo) out of his shell. However, when they were together, well, they made each other shy. Myungsoo had never managed to do that to Sungjong. But just by looking at each other, both Sungjong and Sungyeol would giggle the whole night away.

Sungjong had a good feeling about this. Sungyeol did too. He finally felt lucky.

* * *

And Sungjong had been right. When Myungsoo had gotten less busy and returned to Korea for good three years later, they didn’t get together. Sungjong was still dating Sungyeol, and he wasn’t going to stop.


End file.
